APIASF Scholarship Applications Are Now Being Accepted - 25 Days to Deadline

Scholarship Program Helps to Increase Success and Degree Attainment
Among Underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C., October 6, 2011-The Asian & Pacific Islander
American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the nation's the nation's largest
nonprofit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), announced today that it is
accepting applications for the 2012-2013 scholarship cycle.
Scholarships will provide the critical scholarship support that many
AAPI students need to pursue higher education and access to APIASF's
programs and services. During the 2011 - 2012 scholarship cycle, APIASF
awarded more than $1.2 million to over 500 students in 43 states and
students in the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia and American Samoa. APIASF also welcomed its new cohort of
Gates Millennium Scholars who hailed from across the country and Pacific
Islands.

According to a 2010 report produced through a partnership between
APIASF and the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific
Islander Research in Education (CARE), there are many ethnicities within
the AAPI community that have been traditionally underserved with lower
than average educational attainment rates. Additionally, many are
experiencing rates of poverty higher than the national average with some
ranking among the lowest in the nation. The APIASF scholarship program
helps address this critical need by providing direct scholarship support
to hundreds of AAPI students from across the country, the U.S.
Territories, and the Freely Associated States.

"There is a significant need within the AAPI community for
organizations like APIASF that can provide the financial resources that
students need to access higher education, the programmatic support to
help them navigate the system, and the leadership development
opportunities to help them successfully transition into their careers,"
said APIASF President & Executive Director Neil Horikoshi. "Our goal
is to see that all AAPI students have access to higher education and
resources that cultivate their academic, personal and professional
success regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or financial
means."

Since 2003, APIASF has provided a critical bridge to higher education
by distributing more than $50 million in scholarships to deserving AAPI
students through our two scholarship programs. In addition to the
APIASF scholarship program, APIASF manages the Gates Millennium
Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For details about APIASF's scholarship programs or to apply, visit
APIASF's Web site at www.apiasf.org. Also, follow APIASF on Facebook (www.facebook.com/apiasf) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/apiasf). Applications are due on January 13, 2012.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria

Be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the U.S. Census

Be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United
States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated
States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to
apply

Be enrolling in a U.S. accredited college or university in the Fall
of 2012. Please read each listing for specific eligibility requirements
regarding the academic standing required for each scholarship.

Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted) or have earned a GED

Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American
Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest non-profit
organization devoted solely to providing college scholarships for Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Since 2003, APIASF has provided a
critical bridge to higher education for APIA students across the
country by distributing more than $50 million in scholarships to
students. APIASF manages two scholarship programs: APIASF's general
scholarship and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander
Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation.

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship
Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest 501c(3) non-profit organization
that provides scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
(APIAs) with financial need. Based in Washington, DC, APIASF was formed
in 2003.
Our vision is to see that all APIAs have access to
higher education and resources that cultivate their academic, personal
and professional success regardless of their ethnicity, national origin
or financial means. Our mission is to make a difference in the lives of
APIA students by providing them with resources that increase their
access to higher education which serves as the foundation for their
future success and contributions to a stronger America.